


Here with You

by Lyrishadow



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-08-10 09:17:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7839154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrishadow/pseuds/Lyrishadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Work in progress, title may change.</p><p>A consular Jedi is having a bad day when in walks Theron Shan to her life, a friend and maybe more, time will tell. Jedi don't do relationships though, do they?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here with You

**Author's Note:**

> My Cathar Jedi Consular, who uses her war sabre instead of her glowy light sabre and is less than impressed with the galaxy... she has a temper, disobeys the code and is pretty much perfect for Theron Shan.
> 
> this is a work in progress, spelling, sentence structure and some logic applied through certain sections may be reviewed and fixed.

Theron Shan finally had a lunch break, not that they had him doing too much at the moment. Stepped on some minor toes so he got stuck for a day or two on desk duty. Not that today mattered, today he got to go out for lunch - a rare luxury as it turns out. Walking along hands in pockets he was distracted until he looked around for a seat.  
The girl sat alone at a table, clearly meant for more but she was obviously hoping no-one saw her. She was slouched in the seat. Something about her, Theron thought to himself, she shouldn't be alone. Plus his thoughts added as an aside the Cathar is cute.

Zy’ala sat alone at the table in the cantina, she had turned down another guy asking her to be theirs and she felt like crap. If she had any choice she would have chased the last one herself but Jedi don't do romance right?

“Hi there.”  
Oh stars another one. She looked up to see a young looking human male cybernetics on his left temple, smiling at her.  
“Ah hi.”  
“Mind if I sit?” He gestured to the full cantina “Not a lot of room elsewhere, plus you look a little lost…”  
“Sure have a seat.” She slumped a little in her own. Wishing she had worn a robe today with a hood so she could hide in it.  
“Jedi?” The man asked the Cathar in front of him, though he didn't sound like he hero worshipped them rather he was sounding strangely sympathetic.  
“Yeah, they didn't teach us to deal with people that well.” She admitted looking at him “ you look familiar to me.” What she meant was that he felt familiar, something in the force, but she had learnt not to use that as an opening line to anyone, because they tended to look at you like you just grew a tail and swished them with it.  
“Theron Shan.” He introduced himself.  
“Master Satele Shan a relative?”  
“Mother.” He waited for her to say something, he had heard all the usual comments.  
“Sorry I know that can't have been easy.”  
“That was unexpected.” Theron looked at her properly “ I take it you know something…”  
“No, I'm not a mother, or attached if that's what you meant.” She flustered, usually she kept her cool. “ and my parents were not force sensitive at all oh and my name is Zy’ala.”  
“Good to meet you. You look like you need a friend feel free to bend my ear..”  
“I'm just railing against restrictions again, if I don't get in trouble once a week I start to wonder what's wrong.” She dead panned hoping for a smile.  
“Ah a kindred spirit.” He laughed. His smile was, as she had guessed a very lovely one. Being drawn to someone she just met was new to her and she hastened to back off.  
“Sorry. I really should deal with my own issues.” She sighed.  
“You were, before I asked.” Theron pointed out “Can't take on the Galaxy on your own, need friends.”  
“I guess so.” She shrugged “worth a try.”  
“A problem shared is a problem halved - one of the more literal things I learnt from Master Zho.” He smiled fondly at the memory.  
“I'm going to sound like a crazy Jedi” she warned he shrugged so she continued “Jedi are not meant to do relationships. I've had two different friends suggest I should..”  
“Ah. Well, you are a person first.” Theron responded  
“Yes and even as a person the force seems to think those two are wrong…” She stopped then because the force was seemingly telling her the one she was sitting with was… Right.  
“What?”  
“Don't worry about it.” She shook her head.  
“Look, Zy’ala” he said with a level of genuine care that she was not expecting “ it's not everyday I meet some struggling new friend...this is my holo..message me whenever you need, always good to have an ear to listen to you.” She nodded and accepted the device codes adding them to her datapad.  
“This is mine.” She said quietly “ only fair you get to message me in the same way.”  
He nodded and added the codes as she told him them.  
“I have to get going.” She stood reluctantly “ see you again sometime.”

As she walked away Theron watched her. What a strange meeting that had been. Something told him it wouldn't be the last he saw of her and he was glad. She had pulled out more details about who he was in three minutes than anyone had for years. Zy’ala, he repeated her name to himself while he finished his lunch. She had his holo - that was not really something he did, but she looked more like she needed a friend than he felt she was a security risk.

She messaged him that night, lonely and bored she said figure she should send a message to make sure he had finished lunch ok. It was a start of a conversation that covered everything, to the surprise of both and lasted hours.  
Theron found himself telling her about how his mother had basically abandoned him and he had only recently found out who was his father, and it was awkward.  
Zy’ala told him about her family, how she had lost them except for a twin sister who was a Jedi. They had both been safe at the enclave when an imperial invasion had occurred, her parents were killed in the initial assault. Her siblings who were not force sensitive she had no idea where they were but she had another two sisters. No brothers, she said, which had always disappointed her father, somehow she had become the surrogate son and he had passed his warstaff to her before anything had happened, and now, she explained, she often used that instead of her sabre. 

It was the start of a good friendship, they found time to meet for Caf while she was on Coruscant, and time to talk when she wasn’t. When Theron found himself unavailable, he felt like he missed some important part of himself.They were friends, he often reminded himself. Friends, not anything more. Not yet anyhow. He always felt the not yet, he wished he could explain it.

“Theron Shan, I am glad I caught you.” The man who had been identified by a secretary as Colonel Darok spoke over the holo. “Your director speaks highly of your skills.”  
His director was forcing him to work a desk job because his “skills” had more recently gotten him into trouble. Again.  
“Yes sir, what can I do to help you?” Theron inwardly wished he could do something entirely different but still, at least being office intelligence for Darok was a step over being forced to sit and file the incoming paperwork of the other field agents.  
“I am sending you a file. It concerns a potential candidate to run a covert strike. This is top secret Shan, not a word to anyone.” Darok seemed a little nervous for some reason. Theron was used to the old don't tell anyone scenario. “We are going to invade Korriban. Need a great person to lead our assault, one who can get the job done right. Sending you a file on a Jedi who has been recommended to me.”  
“Receiving it now.” Theron nodded as the information came through. Several scanned handwritten reports, letters and the like.  
“Should be entertaining reading for you. Get back to me tomorrow if you can as to her suitability.” Darok shrugged “I have other candidates if we need them.”  
“Understood.Theron out.” Theron nodded. He was not the kind to spend a lot of time sleeping but a Jedi’s personnel file might well be the cure for that, he downloaded the file to his datapad. 

The apartment Theron rented was a small studio, split level bed upstairs and a full kitchen and bathroom, plus living down stairs. It was not huge, but he liked it that way. Enough space for his work desk , a decent holonet screen, and a long soak in a tub when a mission meant more bruises than thinking. He had a colour scheme through the apartment, a lot of black and dark red, a little synth leather in the sofa and arm chair. He spent time here when he was forced to, and this part of Coruscant really was not that bad. His director had strongly suggested he never let anyone know where he lived, since a lot of the work he did was undercover.  
First things first, he threw on a tub of leftovers to reheat, glad the restaurant let him take home some from last night, dinner with Jonas Balkar was always entertaining, until he eyed a lonely female. Theron was not like that, he kept to himself more often than not - not that he was overly insecure about his appearance or anything, he just didn't enjoy playing those games. Except once, and he had not heard from her since she left for Corellia.

He threw his jacket and belt over the back of his sofa, and stripped down to use the refresher Throwing the rest of his clothes into the overflowing laundry basket. He made a mental note to get around to getting his droid to do something about that. He carefully checked his personal messages as he passed by. Not a single one registered on the terminal, he half smiled, it meant he didn't have to deal with either his father or his mother.

As he cleaned up, and had his dinner, his mind flittered to the file waiting to be read. Typical Jedi information he expected, how perfectly wonderful the person was, strong in the force, likeable, obedient to the order, and possibly how they saved little children with their little finger. He sighed, this was not something he looked forward to. Also, he assumed, this Jedi was going to be much older than he was , having already saved the galaxy a few times, not that it was a bad thing that they were older, it made life easier when there was fewer distractions around. He expected it was a male Jedi - dont females tend to heal people? Males tend to fight? He was putting too much effort into trying to talk himself out of reading the file. Besides, Darok had said ‘she’.  
He had no choice.  
It had to be done. 

Grumbling as he placed his data pad on the bedside table; he slipped into bed feeling a surge of contentment with the feel of the clean sheets and the warmth of the blanket and not needing to wear any clothes or to be concerned someone might come in. There was something said for being in his own space, definitely better than the hostel on Hoth. He shivered at just the thought. 

Sitting up in bed he pulled the information up on the data pad.  
First things first, before he read any information he pulled up a picture of Jedi Zy’ala. She was his Cathar, young, a steel like quality to her expression. On her back was a traditional Cathar warstaff. Jedi she might be but she obviously identified with her race first. She was not what he expected. It was her. Theron almost laughed at the odds that the file he had been given would be her.

He pulled up what was essentially the report from the enclave where she had trained to the Jedi temple. He read it aloud twice to make sure he was reading it right.  
“ Zy’ ala is stubborn, irritable, and struggles to follow orders.” Theron frowned, checking he had the right file because it read like a report from the director about himself. She had told him she got into all kinds of trouble but he had not expected the official reports. “Her strength in the force is exceedingly great. She does have a love of history, and somehow if a master can be found who can honor her own past she will make a good candidate. Just beware her temper and patience can be short.” 

Honor her past? They must mean the events when her family were killed.  
He glanced through the file some more. There on a faded footnote was the reason a republic soldiers report on what they found at the colony site.  
“ Entire colony wiped out by imperial invasion. Cathar leaders, of the family The two kits at the enclave are safe. The oldest escaped and hid. Kanit and Fera Zy slaughtered. The oldest is coming with us back to the core worlds. Middle daughter missing, presumed taken as slave.”

Theron on a whim plugged in the name Zy to search SiS files. To his surprise it was a fairly common family name. To his amazement he found the head of havoc was a Cathar named Zy’lyri. The sister who was also a Jedi was listed there a Jedi knight named Zy’alia. Twins he thought.

The rest of the reports, some compiled by his own mother read much the same. There was a note that she carried the war staff instead of her lightsabre.  
“No amount of asking will change her mind, she says she is trying to live to undo the damage her father might have caused, and that the empire inflicted.”  
And notes about her temper:  
“Concern remains that she hates the Empire, hatred is not something we encourage though we understand it. Zy’ala is convinced she will atone for her anger some how. For now keeping her away from them seems wise.” 

There were notes on her exploits, how she had given much to the order, saving masters at the cost of herself. It earnt her the name Barsen'thor. She had fought the empire at every turn and just recently prevented them from winning on Corellia. Apparently she did so at great cost to herself, and no one seemed to know. Theron sighed, he knew. All the months they had been friends, she looked exhausted on the holo most times.

Theron finally finished reading at 3 am. He had been convinced she would be perfect for the task, but now he knew.

The next day was hectic at the office, somehow whenever there was a war on people demanded information yesterday, so SIS was desperately trying to get the right stuff to the right people. Theron however had an empty desk. His boss just said he was to report to the spare office on fleet before the end of lunch, and not to take anything else as the meeting was “vital”.  
Even though Theron knew what the meeting was, he still felt that he was being punished for the last mishap which, to be honest, had not been his fault. He was good at his job, and that came with some degree of independence from supervisors, however sometimes that caused complications because he wasn't told to stay away from places. He steps on toes, and his toes get shoved under a desk. He sighed and flicked through the datafile again, he had already sent a short message okaying the selection of the Jedi. Now he just wanted to see that what he read at 3am was still the same.

“Theron.” His boss looked over his expression stating he should have left already.  
“So, you read the file?”  
He nodded, and his boss seemed surprise.  
“What did you think?”  
“She's a good candidate for the mission at hand.”  
His boss’ expression did not change, though Theron detected the hint of a smile in the man’s eyes as if he was asking about a pretty girl he had seen in the lift.  
“ Good, always good to be right the first time.” He replied “You better get going.” 

On the fleet, central location for pretty much everything Republic was involved in, they had an office set aside for Theron to use for the operation. Colonel Darok was already there and Theron sensed again something off about the guy but he couldn't put his finger on it. Of course that just sent his spy senses into over-drive.

He told his droid to watch for the Jedi, who had been given the coordinates for running directly into it, when she reported in they would start in earnest. Theron couldn't help but look forward to seeing her again.

Zy’ala strode to the place she had been told to go. Never one for formality and particularly when she had a bad day she spoke shortly to the droid briefly identifying herself before Theron’s face appeared on the holo..  
“Theron.” She sounded surprised, irritated at everything but still glad to see him.  
“Yup they gave me a real job. Here come to this office. Then you can be told more.”  
She took the coordinates and headed to the office. She saw the other man there and sensed it would be smart to act like she and Theron had never met. She kept her friend and padawan Nadia with her.  
“Jedi.” Darok said as she entered.  
“Greetings.” She had on her best Jedi expression and had Darok not looked so serious Theron might have lost it because he knew she didn't walk around like  
that.  
“I am Colonel Darok. And this is Theron Shan.”  
“SiS, pleased to meet you.” Theron winked at her when Darok turned around.  
“I don't suppose you are related to the Jedi Master Satele Shan?” Nadia asked this time.  
“This is why I keep asking for a code name.”  
“We are not here about genealogy …” Darok sounded annoyed.  
“We are invading Korriban?” Zy’Ala pointed to the holo table.  
“A small window of opportunity has occurred.” Darok looked like he was lying and Zy’Ala knew something was off but playing along she nodded.  
“What is my role?”  
“We need you to lead the attack.”  
“Okay.”  
“Shuttle is waiting, I will talk you through.” Theron handed her a ear piece.  
“Let's go then.”

They landed on Korriban.  
“Ok going to have to fight past their commanders.”  
“I hate this place it's so…”  
“Don't say dark….” Theron had her all to himself on the coms.  
“Red.” She finished “ and cold. No wonder Sith are so grumpy.”  
“Grumpy? Are you trying to make me laugh?”  
“ is it working? I've had a bad week. Making jokes is a good balm.”  
“You are without a doubt the strangest Jedi I know.”  
“One of the few?”  
“Aren't you meant to be fighting?”  
“I am. I just don't run out of breath.”  
They had in fact fought their way down to the beast pens.  
“Urg” she grumbled “kor’slugs.”  
“Not to mention other things…” He added.  
“I'd rather fight Sith.”  
“You need to watch out, they set up an ambush at the top.”  
Then there was silence for a bit before she returned from talking to a sergeant,. She was mad now.  
“They were going to just leave them there!”  
“Who?”  
“Slaves… Now former slaves.”  
“Sorry.”  
“Eh wasn't you who ordered them to do that, I know you wouldn't.,”  
Theron glanced at Darok. He knew who had given the order.  
She was close to heading into the academy.  
“Oh yay.” Her sarcasm nearly caused him to giggle again  
“What?”  
“This place is a mess. Not that it was exactly pretty to start with.”  
“Did you think it would be?”  
“One can hope..”  
“Need to go up to the dark council chambers.”  
“Sure. I expect a very warm welcome…”  
“Your sarcasm is killing me.”  
“I will talk to you after this fight.”  
He hated the silence, it seemed a far too long a duration between when she focused in and when she contacted him again.  
“Theron? Since when do we kill people instead of taking prisoners?”  
“Hm I'm sure there was a reason…”  
“I'm heading back.”

“It's done.” She said when she walked back into the office. Theron couldn't help himself but look at her, trying to guess how she was.  
Darok stood there and made some speech about how she was a hero. Theron spent the duration insulted on her behalf. She was already a hero.  
Hadn’t Darok read her file? He was about to ask when alarms rang.  
“Tython.” He said grimly.  
“Shuttle?”  
He nodded. “ I will talk you through it as before.” 

She was more pissed off this time.  
“They made a mess, worse than the flesh raiders.”  
“Flesh raiders?”  
“Ah native to Tython, at least we think they are.”  
She pressed on silently.  
“Oh no. My masters.” He could feel her heart ache as she discovered signs of their death. She muttered the Jedi code to herself lingering on the last line.  
“There is no death there is only the force.”  
“I have to keep going.” She told him “it looks bad.”  
Inside the temple she stopped again.  
“The council chamber is trashed. They found the shield for the library.”  
“Just hang in there, we will make them pay.”  
“Theron, they…” She sounded almost distraught “my masters…” She said again.  
“Focus, we need them out of there.”  
“Will talk soon.” She said.  
She called from the council chambers.  
“I heard.” Theron said shortly “just get back.”

When she returned, Darok made platitudes, almost as if he had no inkling he was talking to a Jedi who was on the council.  
“ Now if you excuse me, I have been tasked with cleaning up the mess.” 

“Let's get a drink.” Theron whispered to her.  
She sent her padawan on to the ship to get rest. Then as they left the office  
Theron put an arm around her and she sunk into his touch.  
“It was horrible. So many lost.”  
He held her a moment, knowing that if people saw them together it wouldn't help.  
“I'm serious about the drink. I want to check on … People.”  
She nodded, understanding.  
“Be there soon.”

She used her personal holo to call her crew to check that Nadia had made it back safely. For once she was glad that they all kept an eye on each other.  
“Jedi” Iresso spoke softly when the others left “you ok? You look…”  
“I know. I'm ok. I think. Meeting with a friend.”  
“The one you talk to all night? Yeah he's a good choice. Be safe.”  
“Thank you.”

She found Theron talking to someone, whom he ended the conversation with when she walked up.  
“Master Satele is fine.” He said “ we aren't close but…”  
“I understand.” Zy’ala sat down, slumped in her chair. “ this is what I'd call a bad week.”  
“Oh?” Theron shifted so he was facing her “worse than…”  
“My former master having some kind of torture by the Sith Emperor so he had a second person in his mind.”  
“That's pretty bad.”  
“My crew know I talk to you all the time. They approve..”  
She sighed as he covered his mouth to stop laughing.  
“ It’s not funny;” she shook her head at him. “They think there is more..”  
“ Is there?” he sobered up pretty quickly. “Could there be?”  
“ I don’t know.” her reply didn't surprise Theron, he knew that she always thought before she spoke. Even her jokes or sarcastic comments were planned.  
“We have time.” he said quietly “Maybe not too much time, but time.”  
“I know.” she smiled at him then and sighed.  
“How do you do that? You smile then you sigh like the weight of the galaxy is on you…”  
“It isn't?”  
“Not today… today it is my turn to do a little digging and see what's going on.” he said candidly enough, she knew he was talking about Darok and the Sith she had seen on the holo.  
:”Ok. So what can I do..”  
“Just be you.” He flashed her a grin “That should work.”  
“Thanks.”she grimaced at him “ So I stir up someone to annoy me? Or annoy an emperor? Maybe even take a break…”  
“Well, a break would be nice.” A holiday, with her, heck even a few days with just the two of them to figure out what it was between them, that not yet was torture on Theron.  
“Someday.” she sighed “ I have a list of council things to do, explanation to the chancellor and all that stuff.”  
“Well, you know my number.” Theron said “And I will let you know what I dig up.”


End file.
